Exercising device.



W. P. ARMSTRONG.

A ExERclsmG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5' 1918.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

W. P. ARMSTRONG.

EXEHCISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man MAR.5.191a.

1,287,176. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` WILLIAM P. ARMSTRONG, OF WASHINGTON: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

EXERCISING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10,1918.

Application fueainarch 5, 191s. serial No. 220,559.

17 b all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. ARM- STRONG, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Washington, inthe District of Columbia, have invented new and useful 1inprovements in Exercising Devices, of .which the following is a specication.

This invention is a device for amusement and exercising purposes. s

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a m'anikin or dummy figure so mounted that it may rock or swing in every direction under the impact of a blow imparted 'by a person standing contiguous thereto. A further object is to provide improved means to cause the figure to return `or rebound quickly, whereby it, will swing past its normal vertical position, requiring quickwork on the part of the person using the same either to strike or to dodge, in order to avoid being struck by the figure,

` thereby developing quickness of the eyes and Vdetached Jfrom the rest a number of men in the hands, as well as agility in boxing. 'A further object is to provide an exercising device of the character mentioned in which the manikin or dummy is provided with an inflated body portion which may be readily of the structure and thrownoverboard, under which conditions it will act as a life buoy capable of sustaining the water.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims. j l

In the accompanying drawing I Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating a manikin or dummy constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a slight modification. Figs. 4 and 5 are n detail sectional views illustrating the invention applied to the ordinary type of punching bag. Fig. -6

-, isa view illustrating means whereby the force of blow may be indicated. Y

Referring to Figsl and 2 of the drawlng, 10 designates a supporting base which may be the floor of a gyinnasium,"`platform or othersuitable place, or "it may be a baseboard kof suitable dimensions toV be placed upon a flooror platform. Resting upon said base is a weighted base 11, which is in the form of a circular saucer-like metal'member having curved Y rocking Contact with said base. The in- ,adj usted by sides and a substantially flat bottom, the whole being shaped to have a terior of the weighted base 11 is provided with two spaced apartlugs 112, over'which areJ fitted the tubular legs 13 ofthe dummy, said legs being attached at their Vupper ends to a bottom boardl 14, to which is attached the iniiatable portion 15, forming'the upper y part of the body. The portion 15 may be constructed in any suitable manner and of any desired material, but it is preferred to kshape it so as to have a semblance to the human body, and to make it of an inflatable in turn is connected to one end of an elastic band or reaction member 18, the-other end of saidband being attached to a lug or 'other device 19, depending from the bottom board 14.

rubberbladder covered by a suitable fabric 1*' In practice, the operator stands upon the base board 10, and strikes the iniated portionfvof kthe dummy body with his sts, or elbows or in any other mannerv which may be found desirable. When so struck the dummy will rock on its basell, moving in a direction whichwill depend upon the direction of the blow which it receives, such movement being resisted by the ,weightof the base 11 and the tension of the elastic band 18. The tension ofthe band 18 is means of the turn buckle 17 so that the movement imparted vto the dummy by a blow is quickly counteracted,

` and vthe reaction v ofV the elastic band isV such as to quickly return the kdummy after being moved under the impact of a blow,

v` with sufficient momentum to carry it beyond lthe. normal vertical position, and Vif the operator does not meet it with another blow, or'inithe absence of a blow if he fails to dodge quickly, the inflated portion of the dummy will strike him'. By providing a circular base 11 and swiveling the ring 16 thedummy may be struck yfrom any direction and will rotate andv Iock as were upon a universal joint. In this manner the operator, must be constantly on the alert to avoid surprise, because the gure is very erratic in its return after being struck a blow, andas a consequence the operator soon develops quickness of eye and hand and anjability to shift his position quickly, all of which areimportant advantages in teaching the art of boxing.

though it v` The iniated body portion 15 is provided with a plurality of straps 20, to form hand holds to be grasped by persons when the rligure is used as a life buoy. It'Will be readilyunderstood that by disconnecting the rrgihearaed body of. uw mamen' or; dummy is, Shown also S,uppcortod uporl i11- 7hated legs, `each leg consisting of an innata- 'blo rubber b1addo12lond oprotoobug oovor 22, attapbod ip -Sutublo manubrio thoibody Alio, indicated. .ab T bolovor pudo :of the logo aroooourd 4to an attaobugplpto 24, .which sabtaohodtozbbogboso llbyopy Sui@- ablo moans, Suoh as ,odious/25:.E By o inpbng ,tho bladders 2l Itho logo oro -gypu` Suioout .rigidity ,to 'Sustain tho body under all ooudr .tions ,enoouutorodv by tho mouku While, iu use ;lirliou ofthe ,ol'rtio band 18. ,tho rodo- ,tiongjmembeig cons ists of a helicalspring 26 ivlrich *is en iployed, c onnectedto the base 10 vvvand thewbjottom board 14 in the same manner astbo-bruld,18,..` i., `i l lu .Fie 4 the; invention., 'io illustrated as appliedjfto aypunchingsbagvSO of ordinary type.y In this orrn of the invention theJ ,rocking busol rests upon ,o VIASupporting baso 82,' and isprovidedvvith a tubularstem. Sooured to the ,192156232 isla ooroW foyo or Suita.blodpyco34:l which cio .oounoobod by ,o oord .3.5, wirbt-ooo oudfof an olaobiojbruld 36, tho otherwend ofgsaidfband being connected to 'a orbssfpm 37 paried byk rho tubular ,Stom 532, Tbopuuobingibpg 30 iofottoobod to bho sterne in 'any desired manner, such as by tbololasbo member o y c Eg.-illuotratospuothor ruodioubon of fthoipuuohue baggrypo, in which, a rigidfoase Si@ isiprpyidpdl baring o oubsbautally; homjspherical upper; surface .uponvvhich rests a iropkop rue-rubor 4,1. vprovided...With @tubular stomepd holioalpprng 43 ,oopueots Said .Stem ,42. with, a orov Wrede or Srulupdo .vioepugrgipg the supporting base 45- The gpupobuig based is, Shown 'as abruohod to the 4 Store.erfby,rrnuurs of o, bolioal ySpring V4f?- in .gthenrodication illustrated Fig. 6a bordo@ oattoobodio the voig'bpd beso r11 papy desired mauuoryzond passed roud suitablegguide pul1eys 5l ,and 5 2 so asfto suspend;,afu'eifgbtoppootop Scalo Mythe jvveight being, provided` with a suitable ,pointer or.; indoatorpoporatng, with the Y opale -,-Bytbsprropgoiuouu the operator. iS

. .ablodito obtauooruo ide' of-'tbosfroufth gkorpovver of the varlous blows imparted by hil.

jiinderstoodthoseekilledin the, art yto that iarfmore perfectinstructions inboxing is obtainable than is possiblevvi'th the ordinary punching bag; that by the use of the elasticY band 18 or its equivalent the device 1s made to rebound very quickly, and by making 'the inflatable portion in a form capable of use as a life buoy, the device may be made to serve a double purpose 'on 'shipboard.

It is to be understood that the Weighted base 1l, may be made of any materialpossessing the required durability and vveigh'ted in any suitable -nianneix For instance the saine may be constructed ofinetal, vvoo'd, papier, mch, or cement Without departing from the spirit of the invention. While the reaction member has been Shown and describedas consisting of an elastic band or a spring, it Will be understood that lthe .invention is not limited in this particolar, as 'said member. may be made of 'any nateri'al lpossessing the vnecessary reacting qualities.

c Having thuseXplained .the nature of the 'inventionfand :described an operative inanner 'hof constructing and using the same, a1- tlioghfvvithut attempting to set forth 'all of lthe forms v in vv'hich it may b'e made, or .all of'the forms of itsuse, 'vvha't Vis clairnd iszt 1.' An exercising `device comprising a'sp- Y'portingbase,fa vveig ted base'havinga rocki'ri'g orultaob with Said Supporting buro, e {dumm-y grejspprted "y 'Said 'weighted base, "and a resilient reaction 'member coznsaid supporting baseA "With v said Sammy gufe 'ata point 'abovetheweghted ase. '2; An exercising device coinprisilg'a'snpportingy base, a'vveighted baseha'vig a' 'rock Contact said Supporting base, 'a dunnny igurensupported by said Weighted o ase, anda resilientractionnieinber'having one end connected to vsaid vsuppc rting ibase "and its other vrend cnne'cted'lto said' dlnnny at a point above saidvveighted base, ne'nd vofsaid refation member beinganlr'd by la 'j'sfiviveled connection.

Anfeer'cisingidevice onp''riis'i'ng"'anp` porting: base,"a `iveighted 'base having l a 'rockontact With said supporting base,sid iveiglitedfbase having `van opening therein, dummy figure vattached to said "Weighted base, and 'a 'resilient "raction, 'lrnelnber sed 'throiighthe opening in said 'iveighb ed 'base and having lone VVend `'attached to the supporting base and the otherend'at- 'Whtd bdp-L t 4. Anfexercisigdvicecomprisinga sp- 'tached tothe 'duinmyat' a point above the .poi'ting'l base," a inovablebasehaving a' rock ing Contact ivith spportingfbase,

'said"nvble'baseh'avingan openingthere- T headvantages of the invention will be f said ',pning'and having one y'end attached to saidsupportingbase and ithe thereiid at- "ached to'said dumnyat @peint abvethe base, and means for controlling the tension n of said reaction member.

5. An exercising device comprising a supporting base, a movable base having a rocking engagement with said supporting base,

an inflated body connected to and supported by said movable base, and a reaction member anchored to said supporting base and connected to the inflatable body at a point above said movable base.

6. A11 exercising device comprising a supporting base, a movable base having a rocking engagement with said supporting base, an inated body constructed to withstand blows imparted in boxing, and iniated legs supporting said body and attached to said movable base.

7. An exercising device comprising a supporting base, a movable base having a rock-` ing engagement with said supporting base, an iniated body constructed to withstand Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the blows imparted in boxing, inated legs supporting said body and attached to said movable base, and a reaction device connected with said'body and movable base. Y

8. An exercis'n device comprising a rocking base, ani atable dummy figure detachably connected to said base, and straps attached to the iniiatable portion of said dummy figure.

9. An exercising device comprising a rocking base, said base, a cord attached to said base, and means coperating with said cord for indicatin the extent of the rocking'movements of said base.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM. P. ARMSTRONG.

Commissioner of Patents,

coperating with said Washington, D. G.

a dummy figure supported by 

